Migration

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The study of social inclusion and social exclusion of migrants is an important aspect of the research area on social inclusion.

Projects in this area focus on a variety of policy areas including employment, education, housing and health. Issues such as European identity, participation, transnationalism and factors which impact on length of stay are also researched. The focus lies especially upon A8/A2 migration and most projects use a mixed methods approach.

Claudia Schneider co-directed a three-year long project on EAL students (2014-2016; funded by the The Bell Foundation, Cambridge) with the Faculty of Education at Cambridge University. The project was an interdisciplinary project and looked at the interlink between language development, social integration and academic achievement. The first phase looked at school approaches to the education of EAL students and especially assessment, school's knowledge about EAL learners, use of L1 (home language/s) in the classroom, pupils' social integration, educational achievement and communication structures relating to EAL. School approaches to the education of EAL students full report and executive summary.

The second phase of the project built on the first phase and researched in particular (i) language development, social integration and academic achievement, (ii) pedagogy and EAL in the classroom and (iii) school - home communication, parental knowledge and parental engagement. Language development school achievement full report and executive summary.

This project is funded by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and its main aim is to research factors which impact on length of stay of A8/A2 citizens who are arriving in the region. The region has experienced significant economic benefits since the enlargement of the EU in 2004 and is, therefore, interested to understand the factors which will influence a longer stay of migrants in the region. Factors such as migrants' goals and aspirations, their perceptions of the social, political and economic situations in the UK and their countries of origin, their identity and their perception of barriers and constraints are researched. The project uses a mixed methods approach conducting semi-structured interviews with participants, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, a survey of participants and an analysis of migrants' blogs. The second interim report of the project will is published in May 2010. [Other members on the team: Anna Matczak, Diane Mitchell and Richard Rippin].

The aim of this project was to look at housing issues relating to migration. Holman and Schneider contributed the quantitative and qualitative research for this project and Alex Collis compiled an extensive literature review. The research highlighted several problems which migrants faced with regard to housing in the region. The research showed that the vast majority of citizens form the Accession countries lived in privately rented accommodation countering the myth that migrants were taking up social housing in the region. [Other members on the team: Colin Wiles and Neil Stott].

The study aimed to update regional policy makers' knowledge of migrant workers' information needs in the Eastern region. The study was commissioned by CA Dacorum, Hertfordshire and funded by EEDA and ESF. The study used the method of focus groups to identify information needs of migrants in the region. Focus groups were carried out with different groups of migrants including groups with good English skills and those with less advanced English skills, groups in urban areas and groups in rural areas. Additionally, interviews with stakeholders across the region were conducted to understand their perception of migrant workers' information needs and the identification of good practice regarding the provision of information. The results of the study were presented to policy makers and organisations interested in migration needs at the East of England Office in Brussels in 2008.

This study was carried out in the first year after the Enlargement of the European Union in 2004. A large number of citizens from the A8 countries were recruited into the rural area of Norfolk/Breckland and the study's aim was to identify the skills profile of people arriving in the area. The project conducted a survey of migrants which was translated into three different languages, carried out focus groups with migrants and conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. The findings highlighted that although migrants had high to very high skills levels they were recruited routinely into low level jobs. The non-recognition of qualifications from countries of origin were especially highlighted in the findings. [Other members of the team: Mei Hu and David Coulson].

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